Because. Deadlines.

Yesterday I typed that I'd planned/hoped to have three new pastels finished by two P.M. today. Because today is the deadline for a pastel show.

It is now 7:11 P.M. The three pieces are finished enough to have zipped their images to the person in charge of jurying the show. i am guessing that one or two of the photographs could have been a tad "sharper" - but with how I how with pastels it is hard to tell. Fuzzy edges on actual work will create fuzzy edges on images.

This is now in the past.

But these are the three things that took up the day - along with finishing the audio book of "The Maltese Falcon" - 

1) "Happy Here." A pastel that's been in the works for almost a year. It was much more "normal" before, and I know more wacky color could have ben pushed throughout the composition. (I might still go back and tweak it - so easy to do with pastels.) But because of time constraints I managed to think of it as finished for now.
Like so many others, this one is soft pastel on velour mat board.

2) "Freddie." Another messing around with soft pastel on velour mat board. This is the piece I'd started as a pastel society demonstration. Tonight I am pretending that he is done. The juror for the show is the inspiration for his name. I do not know if this will have any - no pun intended - bearing in whether "Freddie" will make the cut. If it does, that's O.K. with me. Whatever works!

3) "Elemental 1." This is what happens when I have no idea what might happen. Playing around was my only plan. On the weird black paper from a garage sale that I then treated with clear gesso and acrylic paint. I LOVE working on this surface. The paper if tough on its own - and the gesso gives it a medium tooth - that will take lots of pastel but won't bloody one's fingers when blending colors. I simply sectioned the paper into four areas, and each section got a bear. I was thinking both "retro" and contemporary. And more importantly - Don't Do Normal. I kind of like these. Now we will see what others think.

So that is how the daylight hours and some evening ones were spent. I am now craving a McDonald's Hot Fudge Sundae (please don't judge). I have been "stress eating" all day. Funny how one can both eat and hold pastels. No, not at the same same. And, yes, I washed my grubby fingers before handing snacks. Most of the time... We have a McD's WAY too near our home. And hubby might fly if I buy.

What does tomorrow hold? Well, The Daytona 500 for one thing. Other than that, I have no idea. But probably not finishing three more pastel paintings. Whew!

Today WAS a Lesson is Pushing On and Pulling Through.

Fare-thee-well,
Sue the Tired and Dusty